Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)

The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) is a longitudinal multicenter study designed to develop clinical, imaging, genetic, and biochemical biomarkers for the early detection and tracking of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since its launch in 2004, the landmark public-private partnership has made major contributions to AD research, enabling the sharing of data between researchers around the world.

Three overarching goals of the ADNI study are:

1. To detect AD at the earliest possible stage (pre-dementia) and identify ways to track the disease’s progression with biomarkers.
2. To support advances in AD intervention, prevention, and treatment through the application of new diagnostic methods at the earliest possible stages (when intervention may be most effective).
3. To continually administer ADNI’s innovative data-access policy, which provides all data without embargo to all scientists in the world.

History

ADNI began in 2004 under the leadership of Dr. Michael W. Weiner, funded as a private-public partnership with $27 million contributed by 20 companies and two foundations through the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and $40 million from the National Institute on Aging. The initial five-year study (ADNI-1) was extended by two years in 2009 by a Grand Opportunities grant (ADNI-GO), and in 2011 and 2016 by further competitive renewals of the ADNI-1 grant (ADNI-2, and ADNI-3, respectively). More information about each phase of the study is available at http://adni.loni.usc.edu.

New participants were recruited across North America during each phase of the study and agreed to complete a variety of imaging and clinical assessments. Participants are followed and reassessed over time to track the pathology of the disease as it progresses. Results are then shared by ADNI through the USC Laboratory of Neuro Imaging’s Image and Data Archive (IDA).

Whole Genome Sequencing Data

In 2012, the Brin-Wojcicki Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association donated funds to support whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 818 ADNI participants (at baseline: 48 with AD, 484 with MCI, and 286 cognitively unimpaired controls). Samples were sent to Illumina, where non-CLIA WGS, as well as Illumina Omni 2.5M genome-wide association study (GWAS) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays, were performed on each sample and completed in 2013. Basic quality control checks were then performed and additional checks were performed, dropping 9 individuals.  Further details of Genetics Core studies and datasets from the ADNI-1/GO/2 phases can be found here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4510473/.

In 2019, additional 769 ADNI participants underwent whole genome sequencing as a collaboration between ADNI and ADSP Follow-Up Study (FUS). WGS was performed at the the American Genome Center Core Laboratory at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, directed by Clifton L Dalgard, PhD, CLS. This included 238 with AD dementia, 320 with MCI, 105 with SMC (significant memory concerns without cognitive impairment), and 106 cognitively unimpaired controls at baseline. Following initial quality control, data from 12 individuals was excluded. These samples are part of the ADSP-FUS1-WGS sample set, snd10020.

For further information please see the ADNI website. Over 1,800 published (PubMed) articles are available on studies using or referencing ADNI data. Users may also contact the ADNI Genetics Core in case specific issues arise (http://adni.loni.usc.edu/about/#core-container).

Please note that ADNI is highly committed to principles of open science and data sharing but all users must complete a quick online registration and approval process and must sign the ADNI Data Use Agreement (DUA): https://adni.loni.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/how_to_apply/ADNI_Data_Use_Agreement.pdf.